Typhoon Yolanda forces exodus of farmers from Visayas: official

(philstar.com) | Updated November 22, 2013 - 10:30pm

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The extensive damage caused by typhoon Haiyan,

locally named "Yolanda", in central and western Visayas have forced farmers to
abandon their lands and migrate to other areas, a senior government official said
today.

Agriculture Undersecretary Dante Delima said typhoon Haiyan has "altered the
topography of the country's farm sector."

Delima said a total of 8,000 people from central Philippines who are mostly
farmers have already migrated to the country's capital region, the National
Capital Region, while another 5,000 individuals are waiting to be transported
from the Bicol region in eastern Philippines.

"After the effects of the super typhoon have somehow subsided, the next
problem that needs to be addressed is who will till agricultural lands in those
areas?" Delima asked during the Annual Rice Forum organized by the Asia Rice
Foundation today.

Based on figures released by the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA),

typhoon Haiyan damaged P10.6 billion ($242.45 million) worth of crops, livestock
and farm infrastructure.

The DA said rice-growing and coconut-growing areas as well as sugar plantations

and mills in central Philippines were battered by the typhoon, destroying more
than 145,000 metric tons of unmilled rice and 2.5 million coconut trees.

The government said it has already distributed rice and vegetable seeds and
farm equipment to farmers in affected areas.

Reaction

Philippines, most specifically parts of Leyte, are extremely affected by the

recent typhoon Haiyan locally known as Yolanda. It is undeniably obvious to
everyone that people have been more than desperate to search for the basic
needs like food, shelter, clothes, etc. Livelihood in all aspects are affected most
especially farmers in the said area. The devastation caused by typhoon Yolanda
had distressed heaps of people. In this article, it has been said that farmers are
relocated and are enforced to vacate the area where they had been residing and
where their livelihoods are. And based on what the DA had calculated, billions
worth of yields, heifers and homestead substructure have been wrecked and
destroyed. And as a person living a few hundred miles from these people and
living in the county where this catastrophic event had happened, it breaks my
heart to think and I just hope that we can recover.

I envision these people 10 years from now and I only see two possibilities.
First, when we do not do anything about the economic problem at hand, our
fellow Kababayans will suffer the same endeavour that they are currently
experiencing or probably worse that what it is. Also seeing this happening years
from now, our economic status without a doubt will drastically flunk and go
downhill. Unless we do the second thing we could do which is helping in every
way we can. Although the damage has been done and there is nothing we can
ever do to turn back time, if we think of the brighter side of the future then
slowly, we can rise back again.

Filipino Congress wants inquiry into Visayan Sea fishing ban

By Antonio Figueroa

Jan 1, 2013 in Environment

Visaya - Barely two months after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
had issued a closed season for catching sardines and mackerel in the Visayan
Sea, in central Philippines, Congress has sought an inquiry into the impact the
ban would have on fishermen.

Rep. Rafael Mariano, representing Anakpawis (Children of the Sweat), estimated

that over 100,000 fishermen in western, central and eastern Visayas suffer from
the effect of the ban.

Under Resolution 2925, which he introduced, Mariano pointed out that the
fishing ban will not only spell poverty and further economic dislocation but will
also affect the fish supply and food needs of domestic consumers in many parts
of the country that are dependent for fish supply from the Visayan Sea.

The five-month ban took effect last November 15, 2012 and would be lifted in
March 2013.

To implement the prohibition, six BFAR Monitoring, Control and Surveillance

vessels manned by a composite team from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the
PNP-Maritime Police and the BFAR Fishery Law Enforcement Team (FLET), will
monitor the compliance by commercial fishing vessels.

According to BFAR, the fishing ban covers the areas from the mouth of the
Danao River on the northeastern tip of Bantayan Island to the Madridejos, to
Culasi Point in Capiz Province, coastward along the eastern coast of Iloilo to the
mouth of the Talisay River, westward across Guimaras Strait to Tomonton Point in
Occidental Negros, eastward along the northern coast of the Island of Negros and
back to the mouth of Danao River in Escalante Negros Occidental.
Mariano said a study conducted by the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang
Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), and the Fisheries and Marine
Environmental Research Institute (FMERI) showed that the ban would not provide
positive results but will exacerbate the current economic hardship being
suffered by the small fishermen."

His assertion, however, contradicts the statement made by the Alliance of the
Philippine Fishing Federation, Inc. (APFFI) and three other local fishing
associations operating in the Visayan Sea, which expressed optimism there
would be a significant rise in sardine and mackerel catch after the spawning
season is over.

Angel Buan, APFFI secretary, said that full compliance of the ban will significantly
increase in sardine catch in the Visayan Sea, an experience that was achieved
when a similar prohibition was implemented in 2011 in the Zamboanga
Peninsula, in southern Philippines.

Reaction

The BFAR had issued a fishing ban for catching sardine and mackerel in the
Visayan Seas. Based on the article, the fishing ban had its pros and cons. The
optimistic side of having this said ban, as said by the AFPPI, was the assurance of
the momentous increase of sardine and mackerel catch after the hatching
season is over especially in the Visayan Seas. But other concerned departments
such as PAMALAKAYA and FMERI pessimistically opposed to the vision of the ban.
They are mainly concerned of the small-scale fishermen for they are in risk of
hunger. My judgement is still cloggy though, on which side I would rather be on,
the pro-fishing ban which aims to preserve the lives of the fishes or the con-
fishing ban which aims to preserve lives of people.

My verdict in this situation is neutral because both sides have a point. But
imagining this situation to go on 10 years from now, the most probable thing that
would happen is the small-scale fishermen and their family would go hungry
because of their lack of income if they would not be able to catch fish on daily-
basis. Since amounts of Filipino depend on fishing as their source of income, they
would not be able to eat, adding the number of people experiencing poverty in
our country.